This Movie Roars! – The Lion King Review

Look, we all know what a phenomenon the original Lion King was when it was first released in 1994. Making nearly a billion dollars and universally praised, it’s no wonder that Disney would make it their latest endeavor of remaking their animated films into live action. People have been mixed on this latest trend; do we really need all these old films to be remade? Some have been really good while others have been mediocre at best. So, where does the king of Pride Rock fall? Was it a triumphant ROAR!? Or did it squeak out in defeat? Director Jon Favreau brings what he learned from The Jungle Book and crafts a photorealistic world that is simply gorgeous to look at. All the animals look as real as possible and the Pride Lands have never looked more beautiful, I simply can’t believe that they didn’t send people over to Africa and shoot on location and that it’s all CGI. If there’s one thing you simply cannot argue, it’s the look of the movie. It gives a great new perspective on the sets that we are used to. But these good looks would be nothing without the acting talent to back it up, and The Lion King has that in spades. JD McCrary and Shahadi Wright Joseph bring great energy to young Simba and Nala. They both have a great singing voice, and there acting is nuanced and deep. JD McCrary really sells the heartbreak and sadness of Simba’s tragic childhood. John Oliver knocks it out of the park as Zazu, and of course, James Earl Jones is the one and only Mufasa. Seriously, Disney w…